


Casual Interactions, 2020 Edition

by Koumori_chan



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: 2020, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, COVID-19, Comedy, Coronavirus, Fluff, Frerard, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Disrespect To Their Families, No Smut, Please wear a mask, Sexual Tension, Slice of Life, Unmatched Simpery, current frank, current gerard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koumori_chan/pseuds/Koumori_chan
Summary: An AU, where during the coronavirus pandemic, Gerard needs to travel to New Jersey for a family emergency. While he's there, he wants to see Frank because they desperately miss each other. But Gerard quarantines himself for fourteen days due to NJ's and NY's strict Covid laws. Frank is not happy about this and tries to convince Gerard to let him come over before two weeks are up. Let the pining and fluff commence.Also known as the fic with a million 2020 references and Frank and Gerard simping REALLY  hard for each other <3Disclaimer: I do not ship current Gerard and Frank in real life. This story is 100% fictional. The only reason I used current F & G in this fic is because of the Covid-19 theme. I mean no disrespect to their families, and I would never force Frerard or this fic on the guys. I don't mean to upset or offend anyone; I just got this story idea and ran with it.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	1. The First Week of the Trial

**Author's Note:**

> I have officially lost my mind to the brain-consuming disease known as Frerard, so I decided it write this. It is the very first MCR/Frerard fic I have ever written, and it's an accumulation of my MCR obsession over the past few months while in quarantine. Yes, this is about current Gerard and Frank, but again, I mean absolutely no disrespect to their families. I don't ship them in real life. This is kind of an AU where the history of the band is more or less the same, but Frank and Gerard never got married.

With the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing and seemingly never going the fuck away, Gerard didn’t expect to leave his house in Los Angeles anytime soon, let alone fly to New Jersey of all places.

But when his mother called him hysterical, screaming that his father was having another heart attack, Gerard hopped on the first plane he could catch, a Bowie-inspired medical mask on his face, a small bottle of hand sanitizer clutched tightly in his fist, and a certain tattooed man in the back of his mind.

***

“So, you’re in New Jersey?” Mikey asked through video chat as Gerard awkwardly held his phone in one hand and scratched his scalp with the other.

“Technically,” began Gerard, “I am in my apartment in Brooklyn right now. I stayed at Mom and Dad’s for a while to make sure Dad was okay, but with the coronavirus, I didn’t want to be near them for too long. LA is really bad right now, and, you know, Mom and Dad aren’t exactly young anymore.”

“You could have told me… I live in LA too, and they’re my parents as well.” Mikey’s voice was steady, his face expressionless, yet he still somehow managed to exude waves of disappointment through the phone.

“I’m sorry. I panicked,” Gerard apologized, scratching his scalp more vigorously this time. “Mom was saying some shit about how I’m Dad’s good luck charm since I was there for him during his first _real_ heart attack.”

“So, he’s fine, then?” Mikey looked relieved even though he was still wearing his perpetual poker face.

“Yeah. It wasn’t a heart attack. He almost choked on a pretzel. A fucking pretzel. Who the fuck is he? George W. Bush?” Gerard laughed at his own joke; he had rehearsed it several times before the call. But Mikey’s Easter Island Head expression didn’t change.

“You’re getting old if you’re making political jokes.” He finally smiled. _He’ll laugh at my age but not my jokes?_ Gerard thought to himself. _Whatever, typical Mikey busting my chops_.

“Anyway,” continued Mikey, “when are coming back to LA?”

“New Jersey and New York have strict Covid laws. I need to quarantine for fourteen days.”

“Only if you’re staying in NJ or NY.” Gerard said nothing. But then he realized how suspicious that probably seemed, so he opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to form a sentence. It was to no avail. His eyes frantically darted across his phone’s screen, desperate to look anywhere except at Mikey. After a few moments, his bother interjected. “Oh my God. No.”

“W-what? I didn’t say anything.” Gerard started nervously touching his face, rubbing his fingers over his mouth and nose, which is a habit he should really break _considering there was a fucking pandemic happening_. He quickly pushed his free hand in his pocket, hoping to calm down its uneasy movements. _Why do I have to be such an open book?_ Gerard thought. _Why can’t I be like Mikey, who’s harder to decipher than hieroglyphics?_

“You don’t want to be around Mom and Dad because of their age,” said Mikey. “So, why are you staying there? Are you meeting someone?”

There were so many excuses Gerard could have said. A meeting with a recently reopened comic company. A project related to the band. He needed a vacation. In the end, he just couldn’t bring himself to lie to Mikey. “… A friend.” At least entirely. Lying by omission wasn’t as bad, right?

“Does this ‘friend’ begin with F?” Mikey asked.

“Well, Mikey, the word ‘friend’ itself begins with the letter F. So, you’re gonna have to-”

“Gerard! I’m not stupid! Stop dodging the question. You’re going to see Frank, aren’t you?

“…”

“That’s why you ran off to New Jersey without telling me. You planned this.”

“…”

“No. You can’t see him. And you know why.”

“I promise I won’t see him,” replied Gerard.

“Good.”

“…until after I’ve quarantined for two weeks.” There. He admitted it. “I know you don’t agree with our, umm, relationship or whatever, but please don’t make that face. You look like a living example of the colon and vertical bar emoticon.”

“The WHAT?”

**** Author’s Note: The colon and vertical bar emoticon looks like :| ****

“The meh face! The one with the flat mouth. You’re doing it now. I- I have to go.” He hung up before Mikey could protest.

He didn’t blame Mikey for being mad at him or disapproving of his “relationship” with Frank. When they were together romantically, it always caused trouble, especially for Mikey. How matter how many times they tried, things always ended up in disaster. Gerard and Frank’s love for each other was so strong, it sent out shock waves. They were like two suns on a collision course, racing toward each other at astronomical speeds. They blinded each other with their own light, destroying everything in their wake and severely sunburning the people closest to them.

When the band got back together and had in-person practice sessions – you know, before this Covid bullshit – Gerard and Frank had a strict Friends Only policy. They flirted and eye-fucked each other constantly but kept their hands and feelings for each other to themselves. More or less. Sometimes they’d give each other a quick yet soft kiss when no one was looking or stay in a “platonic” hug a little longer than necessary. It was their way of reminding each other how much they cared for one another. Their interactions hadn’t gone past that the Friends Only point for the last few years. They had to keep their distance, or they’d feel the wrath of Mikey.

To see something made of stone suddenly come to life in fit of fiery rage was terrifying. Gerard had witnessed it multiple times throughout his life, particularly when Mikey was younger… but it still terrified him. It was _that_ scary. So, Frank and Gerard tried their best to stay away from each other.

However, since Mikey wasn’t going to be there to reprimand them and Gerard had reached his limit - he NEEDED to be with Frank or he was going to become a fucking supernova – he figured fuck it. He might as well enjoy it now while Mikey was stuck in LA and blocked by a giant barrier with the word COVID-19 spray painted on it. Gerard looked at his phone and saw several texts from Mikey. He briefly skimmed one that read “I dont mean to be harsh but i worry about u, ur my big bro.”

Ignoring the rest of Mikey’s messages, Gerard navigated to his private text conversation with Frank. The last thing Frank had sent was about some kind of underwater seahorse rodeo. _He’s fucking crazy_ , thought Gerard. _Texting him now is probably a bad idea…_  
  
His fingers didn’t listen to his brain and began slowly typing with one finger at a time. He wrote out the text with the sheer grace of a boomer. It said: “So… umm, I’m in the area.” Before he could even type the next line, his phone rang. Yep, shouldn’t have texted him.

“Dude, you’re in Jersey?!” Frank practically shouted on the other end of the line, barely containing his excitement. Gerard could feel his eagerness through the phone, even though they weren’t video chatting.

“Technically,” started Gerard, trying to conceal his own excitement, “I’m at my apartment in Brooklyn.”

“I’m coming over now,” Frank said without hesitation.

“No, you can’t. I have to quarantine for fourteen days since LA is a Covid clusterfuck right now. It’s required by law.” Gerard was doing the face-rubbing thing again. He wasn’t sure if it was because of excitement, nerves, embarrassment, or all three combined.

“You know I don’t care about the law nine times out of ten,” Frank said. “Especially when it comes to you,” he added. “And since when have you been so compliant, Mr. Let’s Fight Against Evil Corporations While Dressed In Cosplay?”

“You suck at nicknames. You shouldn’t be allowed to name anyone or anything.” Gerard chuckled, then sighed. “Frank, I’ve had a long, stressful day. I’m really tired, and it’s late. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

“Sure. See you tomorrow.”

“You too. Wait, no. I won’t _see_ you. Anyway, good night.”

And so began the Trial of Frank and Gerard Not Seeing Each Other, a torturous fortnight of flirting, pining, waiting, sexual tension, and more waiting.

…if they last that long.   
  


**DAY 1 of the TRIAL**

Gerard was still worried about his mom and dad since the Pretzel Incident was pretty nerve wracking. He was serious about quarantining, so he decided to video chat them and see if they were okay. His parents were thrilled he called and talked his ear off. Gerard was glad they were calmer than yesterday, but he had trouble concentrating on their stories about when him and Mikey were little kids since Frank wouldn’t stop texting him throughout the whole damn thing.

 **Frank, 1:02 pm:** can I come over now

 **Gerard, 1:05 pm:** No.

 **Frank, 1:06 pm:** now?

 **Gerard, 1:10 pm:** No.

 **Frank, 1:16 pm:** how about now  
**Frank, 1:31 pm:** that’s it. i’m comin over

 **Gerard, 1:33 pm** : You’ve never been to my apartment in Brooklyn. Do you even know where it is?

 **Frank, 1:33 pm:** …fuhk  
  


**DAY 2 of the TRIAL**

If Gerard got one more text or felt his phone vibrate one more time, he was going to drive over to Frank’s house and personally chop off his fingers – while wearing a face mask, of course. _No, I can’t do that. It would be bad for Frank’s guitar career._

So, Gerard decided to call Frank instead. They spoke on the phone all the time when Gerard was in LA, but knowing they weren’t physically far apart made the conversation even more fun than usual. More relaxed. There was no mention of old wounds, past fights, or cryptic lyrics. They talked about all kinds of positive things: music, books, video games, bad movies. Frank was saying something about a turtle when Gerard’s mind started to wander.

 _This is going well_. He was becoming less worried about Frank randomly showing up at his door when Frank blurted out, “Hey, do you wanna have phone sex?”

If Gerard had been drinking coffee at that moment, he would have spat it out all over his bed. Luckily, he wasn’t which was a miracle in of itself. His face was bright red from the unexpected (though very flattering) question; Gerard thanked the universe that they were having a regular phone call instead of a video call. Otherwise, Frank would have seen how flustered he was. Gerard cleared his throat, trying to erase the shiver in his voice. “If I said no to phone sex when I was in LA, what makes you think I’d agree to it now?”

“Because I’m sexy, duh.”

“I won’t deny that statement, but no _._ ” _It would be much better to wait until we see each other in person_ , he thought to himself. He didn’t say that to Frank, though.

**DAY 3 of the TRIAL**

The we’re-so-close-yet-so-far feeling was starting to get to Gerard, so he reluctantly decided to do a video call with Frank, provided that Frank promised not to do anything _too_ stupid. While living in LA, he had video chatted with Frank sparingly because half the time, something chaotic happened during the call. Therefore, he was always cautious about doing them. As luck would have it, there was a Liverpool Football Club game on TV, so they watched it together through Face Time. Frank propped up his phone on a couch cushion, so Gerard could watch the TV but also see Frank’s side profile. Focusing on the game prevented Frank from being a dumbass (mostly), but for Gerard… it was boring as fuck.

 _Why does Frank like this crap so much? He probably thinks the guys are hot or something._ He watched the soccer ball roll back and forth across the screen, a blur of black and white among red uniforms. The only good thing about watching the game was when Frank got all vehement, whether he was pissed off or overjoyed. In his passion, he’d flail his arms, jump off the couch, or almost spill beer all over himself. It was so cute. But these moments were few and far between, so, needless to say, Gerard was still as uninterested as a kid who had been dragged to the hardware store by their parents on a Saturday morning.

To pass the time between Frank’s outbursts, he began (re)reading one of his favorite comics, careful not to show the book in Frank’s line of vision. Not that he was paying much attention to Gerard anyway.

“Gee… Gee…”

A giant glob of human flesh was running amok in a stadium and -

“Gee!” Frank yelled.

Shit. He’d been found out.

“You’re reading a comic, aren’t you?” Frank said, his tone accusatory. Then, his voice softened. “If it’s a brand-new comic you’ve never read before, I’ll forgive you since soccer isn’t your thing. But if it’s something you’ve read a thousand times, I will beat your ass when I finally see you. Such disrespect against Liverpool will not be tolerated.”

A “beating” from Frank probably meant a tickle fight, but Gerard still didn’t want that to happen. He freaked out whenever anyone touched his ribs. “Ugh…”

“Tell me the name of the comic, Gerard,” Frank prompted.

“Ugh… ugh…”

“‘Ugh’” as in you’re tongue-tied… or ‘ugh’ as in a short A sound… as in **_A_** _kira_.” He put a ton of emphasis on the A sound, a smirk on his face as he turned toward his phone’s camera.

 _Clever motherfucker_. “Since when do you know about vowel sounds?” Gerard chuckled.

“Despite what you might think, Gee, I did pass first grade.”

“Right… the latter.” _He acts so stupid all the time, I sometimes forget how fucking smart he is._

“You’ve earned yourself an ass-whooping.” Frank jokingly cracked his knuckles.

“But _Akira_ is so cerebral and a big inspiration-”

“Nope, the ass-whooping is still valid.”

Gerard panicked. He knew Frank was joking, but he really did **not** want to be tickled to death (even if said tickle fight eventually led to _other_ things). He responded with the first thing that came to his mind, something he knew would catch Frank off guard.

“Umm… but… I love you?” Gerard muttered, blushing as he looked away from his phone. Although he was using them as a scapegoat, he meant those words with all of his heart.

Frank stared at him, his eyes widening. He blinked multiple times as if something was caught in them. Gerard started furtively peering at the screen, curious to see how Frank reacted. It was now Frank’s turn to look away from the camera; he was unable to meet Gerard’s unsteady gaze.

“…Okay. You get a pass… This time.”

**DAY 4 of the TRIAL**

Frank had apparently been neglecting guitar practice since he was so busy pestering Gerard the last few days. _Whose fault is that?_ Gerard mused. It was nice to be able to concentrate on his work for once. That is, until he began to feel lonely. He Face Timed his parents to see if the shock of the Pretzel Incident had worn off. They begged him to come over, insisting they could socially distant themselves in the backyard, or Gerard could stay in his car, or he could talk to them through the glass front door, or – he eventually relented.

They did the backyard thing, his parents on one side and him on the other, all of them wearing masks. His mother had bought the official Desert Screening mask and wore it proudly in support of her sons. His dad, on the other hand, wrapped a bandana around his face. It was one left over from MCR’s Danger Days merch. The whole thing was extremely surreal, not to mention embarrassing, but he was glad the merch helped protect them from the virus. And causally speaking with them – no hysterics or pretzels involved – was nice, even if it was hard to hear sometimes with the masks and the backyard lawn between them.

 _This is nice_ , thought Gerard. _I could maybe do something like this with Frank. No… it wouldn’t work. We’d be all over each other… We’d probably last an hour at most. No, half an hour..._ He sighed. Seeing his parents was great and his phone being silent relieved some of his jumpiness. But he still kept checking his messages to see if Frank said anything. There was nothing.

 _He could easily practice guitar while doing a video chat with me. If he can act crazy on stage and still play guitar, he can talk to me._ Gerard rubbed his face and played with his mask, irritated. _I love watching him play guitar… I love how bites his lip when he concentrates really hard. He does the same thing when he-_

Gerard cut off the thought before he could finish it. He was with his parents for Christ’s sake. He shouldn’t be fantasizing about his boyfriend(?). He rubbed his face again, more aggressively than before.

“Are you okay, honey?” his mom asked. “Is your mask uncomfortable? We have plenty more of those bandanas in the house if that would be better.”

“No thanks, Mom. I am just a little itchy is all.”

“It’s that beard of yours.” Both his parents guffawed, as if him having a beard was the funniest thing they had ever encountered.

He laughed with them for a while, explaining his reasons for growing a beard – which they found equally as funny – but soon the lonely feeling came back. _God dammit. I miss his stupid typing style, and his stupid smug yet adorable voice, and his stupid handsome face. Fuck it. I’ll make the first move for once and text him_. _He’ll make fun of me for it later but whatever._ There were so many things he could have said, but he decided to keep it short and simple. What he said was true after all. There was no need to embellish it.

Frank did not reply for what felt like six years. _Is this how he feels when I don’t respond right away?_ By the time his phone pinged, Gerard was so impatient and needy, he was practically pulling out his hair with the force of his scalp scratching.

Their conversation went like this:

 **Gerard, 3:37 pm:** I miss you.  
**Gerard, 3:38 pm:** Like, really, really badly.  
**Gerard, 3:39 pm:** I just wanted you to know that.

 **Frank, 7:21 pm:** who’s the simp now, huh?

 **Gerard: 7:22 pm:** The fuck is a simp?  
  


**DAY 5 of the NEVERENDING TRIAL**

To Gerard’s delight, Frank was free the next day and willing to do a very long video chat session. Since he’d been really into puzzles during his own quarantine, Frank suggested they do one – or at least attempt to. Of course, he wanted to do the new puzzle from his merch line that had his face on it, which Gerard was sure was totally on purpose.

Truth be told, Gerard wasn’t really paying much attention to the puzzle. He was mesmerized by Frank’s hands. The way his inked fingers moved, the way his tattoos slightly changed shape as his joints extended and bent when he picked up a piece. Gerard could watch Frank slowly sift through puzzle pieces until the end of time; he could watch him do _anything_ until the end of time (except watch him watch a Liverpool game). Frank was that breathtaking.

An old _No Doubt_ album was playing in the background at Frank’s place, just above a hum. In the semi-silence, Gerard could hear Frank’s fingers scraping against the pieces and the puzzle’s cardboard box, lulling him into a dreamlike state. It was like some kind of arousing ASMR video. Gerard imagined being at Frank’s house, laying his head down on Frank’s lap while he endlessly searched for missing puzzle pieces. Frank would use his spare hand to affectionately run his tattooed fingers through Gerard’s hair…

“You know, you’re not being very helpful,” Frank said, snapping Gerard out of his fantasy. “You’ve barely said anything or found a piece in the past ten minutes.”

“Sorry. It’s kind of hard to see the pieces through the phone, especially when the connection gets fuzzy,” Gerard half-lied.

“You know what would make this whole puzzle thing easier?”

“What?”

“If we did it together… IN PERSON.”

“NO.” _I walked into that one._

“We have fried plantains here.”

“…What?” Gerard’s pining was slowly being replaced with irritation.

“I know you like them, dude.”

 _How the fuck does he know that? Does he stalk my Instagram?_ “Can you even get plantains in New Jersey?” Gerard asked.

“As a matter of fact, you can.”

“Have you ever even had a fried plantain?”

“As a matter of fact, I have.”

 _Bullshit._ “Stop saying ‘as a matter of fact’… So, what, now you’re bribing me with food, so I’ll go over to your house?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Frank responded with a wry smile.

“Then, show me,” retorted Gerard. “We’re on a video call. Get up, go to the kitchen, and show me the fried plantains.”

“…fuck.”  
  


**DAY 6 of THE TRIAL**

Frank watched Gerard as he drew. It was Gerard’s turn to do something through video chat and for Frank to sit and observe. Gerard’s phone was propped up on something nearby. He was so focused on his drawing that he barely spoke, only occasionally humming to himself. Gerard probably thought this would be tedious for Frank, but it wasn’t. Not in the least.

“Gee.”

“Hmm?” Gerard answered, without looking up from his sketchpad. He was doodling a wheat field full of dinosaur-sized cats.

Frank didn’t react, although he had been the one to start the conversation.

“Stop staring at me. I can feel you intensely watching me through the phone,” Gerard said, still not looking away from his drawing.

“Sorry… you are just so cute when you draw.”

Gerard turned scarlet. He tried to hide it by bringing the sketchbook close to his face. “W-what do you want? I was really in the zone.”

“I just wanted to ask… what are we?” Frank inquired.

“What do you mean?” There was no point in hiding his face; Frank could practically see imaginary cartoon steam radiating off Gerard from behind the sketchbook.

“What is our relationship? What _are_ we?”

Gerard put down the sketchbook and held his pencil to his lips, rolling the question over in his mind. It was so fucking cute when he did that. “We are what we’ve always been,” he said after some time. “Two people in love, but our love is… cataclysmic. Because of that, we can’t be ‘together’ all the time, at least in the traditional way. But just like the tides, we’ll always be pulled toward each other, one way or another.”

“That’s fucking beautiful, man. Corny as fuck but still beautiful.”

“Thanks, I guess? That’s truly how I feel.”

“So…” Frank began, stroking the back of his neck with his hand. “Is the tide coming in soon?”

“Yes. But I’m anchored a little ways offshore. The anchor being the coronavirus. I’ll make it to shore soon, though.”

“This is one long metaphor… but, ugh… how long you will be staying… at, ugh, port this time?”

“I don’t know,” Gerard said. His eyes were staring off to the side, probably at his apartment’s art-covered walls. It was obvious that he was looking through them, though, somewhere deep into his heart, into the past. Finally, he said, “As long as I can. Until Hurricane Mikey, the coronavirus, or another force of nature throws me back out to sea again.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Frank stated firmly. “Not this time.”

He meant it.  
  


**DAY 7 of THIS LONG-ASS TRIAL**

After getting back to his apartment from a short, socially distant visit at his parents’ house, Gerard picked up his phone and logged into his daily video chat with Frank. But there was a problem. Frank was shirtless. No. He was completely naked.

Gerard instinctively covered his eyes with his hand. “Frank,” he mumbled, “when I said no phone sex that included through video chat.”

“I thought seeing my gorgeous body would change your mind.”

 _I just poured my heart out to this man yesterday, and he goes and pulls this shit._ “It’s tempting, but no.” Despite what he just said, Gerard spread his fingers wide enough so he could peek through them. Then, he moved his gaze to Frank’s face, putting down his hand and revealing a forlorn frown.

“You’re mad,” Frank said, his face falling.

“After our conversation yesterday? Yes. When you do this shit, I feel like you don’t take us or our relationship seriously.”

“I’m doing this _because_ of our conversation yesterday,” Frank contended. “Gerard, I love you so much, and being so far away from you hurts, but yesterday I realized how much you love me back, and I want to get intimate with so badly to show you –”

“I- I want to wait until we see each other in person!” Gerard exclaimed, interrupting Frank’s ramble. “It will be more meaningful that way.” His face was becoming bright red again. It resembled the fire hydrant red hair he sported during the Danger Days era.

“Everything we do has meaning…” Frank looked hurt. “Every interaction, no matter how silly… every second I spend talking to you or seeing you is meaningful, even if I’m acting like a total ass the entire time.”

“You _are_ an ass.” Gerard laughed, allowing himself to smile a little. “I feel the same way. But that’s not what I meant… I just want our first time being intimate _in_ _forever_ to be extra special.”

“You’re right,” Frank conceded, still naked. “Sorry, man, I got a little too a head of myself.”

“It’s okay, you horny fucker. For what it’s worth, you’re very sexy.”

Frank looked pleased with himself. “Just so I don’t look like a complete asshole… could you get shirtless for me?” Frank asked abruptly. He was back to wearing his signature Frank Face™, the one where you couldn’t tell if he was being serious or joshing you. “I haven’t seen you shirtless in a hot minute.”

“W-what? No! Knowing you, you’ll take screenshots. If they ever leaked, our fans would go apeshit.”

“I don’t think Lola or Pogo would appreciate that comment.”

“WHAT?”

“Because they’re apes! Or, are they monkeys? …fuck.” The Frank Face™ was gone, and he looked genuinely confused as he pondered over this dilemma.

Gerard burst out laughing. “You are so fucking stupid,” he snickered. His laugh turned high-pitched, the laugh he only let out when his guard was down and he truly felt comfortable. He laughed harder than he had laughed in months. How could he not when the man he loved was (digitally) sitting across him, naked and wondering about the Ape Status of his pink mascot and a fictional talking chimpanzee?

**** Author’s Note: In case you are wondering, chimpanzees, like Pogo, are apes :) As for Lola… only IRL Gerard knows the answer. ****

He continued to laugh, Frank ultimately joining him and laughing at his own idiocy. Frank did that obnoxious giggle of his, the one that reverberated in his throat and cast echoes throughout Gerard’s mind, bringing back so many memories of their good times together.

Gerard was laughing so hard now that his eyes were squeezed shut and he didn’t notice that someone else was calling him through Face Time. He accidentally accepted the video call and added it to the current video chat.

It was Mikey. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.

Between Frank being shirtless/naked and Gerard being breathless and red-faced from laughing, Mikey was going to suspicious as fuck. As soon as Mikey’s stone-cold expression appeared in the video chat, Gerard and Frank’s laughing fit came to a complete halt.

Gerard was silent. Frank was silent. Mikey was silent.

The only sound was Gerard trying to compose his himself, by clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. He had laughed so hard he was practically out of air. Mikey’s unwavering staidness made him even more terrifying.

Finally, Frank, ever the braver, broke the silence. “Ugh, hi Mikey.”

No response.

“Ugh,” continued Frank, trying to cover himself with his arms but failing. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Like hell it isn’t.” The statue finally spoke, and it was just as scary as Frank and Gerard expected.

“Mikey, we can explain-”

“I don’t want to hear it! You guys-”

“Please stop making the colon and vertical bar face,” Gerard threw in all of a sudden. “It makes me feel so guilty.”

“The WHAT?” Mikey and Frank asked simultaneously.

_Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep._

Another video call was coming in. It was Toro. Gerard answered it without a second thought. _Ray won’t be mad at us_ , he thought to himself. _I feel like he has always secretly shipped me and Frank. He’ll somehow get us out of this. Plus, I miss him since I haven’t spoken to him in a few days._

“Hey, Gerard,” said Ray, popping up in yet another window in the video chat. His hair took up most of the frame; Gerard couldn’t even see the wall behind him. “Wow, and Frank and Mikey too! What’s going on?”

Gerard thought about just telling the truth, so Mikey could hear the explanation too. But he noticed that Frank had managed to sneakily put some clothes on and decided he really didn’t want to deal with Mikey’s fury just yet, so he made something up. “Ray! Perfect timing,” Gerard said before anyone else could respond. “We were, ugh, just going to discuss some stuff about the band. Right, Frank?”

“Yeah, dude.”

Mikey rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. His expression was still undecipherable, but Gerard imagined it translated to something like that ‘I will talk to you about this in private later, big bro.’ After a couple seconds, Mikey sighed and said, “Yeah, we were gonna discuss the band. But I need to talk to my brother about something afterward.”

 _MIKEY WAY, I LOVE YOU!_ thought Gerard. _Even if you scold me later, I fucking love you._

“Awesome!” answered Ray. “What’s on the agenda?”

Gerard smiled. Ray was always there to save the day.

**_~ Will Frank and Gerard survive another week apart? Find out in the next chapter <3 ~_ **


	2. Days 8 - 10: Fights, Animal Crossing, and Lipstick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I got a lot of positive feedback on the first chapter. Thank you very much! <3 This was originally supposed to be only two chapters, but the story is kind of taking on a life of its own, so I've decided to make it three chapters. Thanks to AcidBlaze for being my beta reader and throwupsparkles for encouraging me to keep writing.
> 
> Reminder that this story is 100% fiction and that I don't ship Frerard in real life. (I'm just bored and MCR-obsessed, okay?)
> 
> This chapter is a little more serious. Maybe? Anyway, please enjoy!!!

**DAY 8 of THE TRIAL – THE START of THE SECOND WEEK**

The four friends stayed on the video chat into the wee hours of the morning, making plans to meet up after Covid and reminiscing about the good ol’ days. They were up so late, Mikey went to bed as soon as the call was over, apparently forgetting about the talk he needed to have with his elder brother.

The next morning, Gerard was getting ready to video chat with his parents, hoping he was off the hook. He inspected his face in the mirror, grazing over his now-nonexistent stubble and curious how his mom and dad would react to his shaved appearance. His iPhone rang, alerting Gerard about an incoming phone call. It wasn’t his parents. It was Mikey, no doubt keeping his promise from the night before.

 _Fuck._ Gerard thought about ignoring it because who would want to deal with that so early in the morning? At the same time, he knew the longer he let Mikey fester, the bigger the eye of the storm would become. By all appearances, the storm’s eye _looked_ harmless, but it was actually the harbinger of disaster. Once the eye passed over, the ensuing shitstorm would hit, its utter strength knocking Gerard over and everything else in its path.

Gerard sighed and slowly picked up his phone, placing it against his ear. “Hello?” He was already playing with his hair nervously.

Mikey didn’t greet him back. He started with: “You didn’t think I’d let you off that easily, did you?” As always, it was impossible to tell what Mikey was thinking or feeling. Gerard wasn’t sure if decoding his icy words would be easier or harder when he couldn’t see his face.

“No…” Gerard stated. “I have a video call with Mom and Dad soon, though.”

“A video call?”

“Yeah, we decided to alternate between in-person visits and calls because it’s safer. And going in and out of the city is a fucking hassle.”

“If they call soon and interrupt us, I can just join in. I _am_ their son _too_.” They last sentence was laced with contempt. Gerard swallowed down the jagged words and felt them sink into his stomach. Mikey was obviously still annoyed he had gone to New Jersey without him.

“True.”

“Speaking of which,” began Mikey, “thank God they didn’t video call you yesterday and accidentally see you and Frank’s sex ritual.”

“We weren’t doing anything.” Gerard began to blush, thinking about Frank being naked and eager. Out of habit, he placed his palm over his face, forgetting that his brother couldn’t see him.

“Frank was naked… and you looked… flushed.”

“Frank was just messing with me. You know he loves to push my buttons.”

“…”

“Wait, not like that! Fuck, that came out wrong. I meant, he tries to aggravate me and, you know, get under my skin. That’s why he was naked. The reason I looked flushed was because he said something incredibly stupid, and I was laughing at him. The whole thing was ridiculous.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s the truth. I swear on Batman.” _Why did I choose Batman? I sound so lame. Whatever, Mikey loves Batman._

“Fine, I believe you this time.”

“Thanks, Mikeyway!” _Okay, maybe Batman was the right choice. I’ll remember that for next time._

“But if something like that happens again, I won’t let you live it down. You’re still treading on thin ice.”

“Okay…” Gerard twirled strands of hair through his fingers. He’d washed his hair that morning, so his mom wouldn’t make a comment about it, but with all of this hair-pulling, it was going to get greasy again.

“Don’t sound so sad. You’re making me feel like an asshole…” said Mikey. “I don’t want to be mean. I just don’t want to deal with you and Frank’s bullshit anymore. Every time something happened between you two, I was always in the middle of it. _Always_.” Gerard decided he liked seeing Mikey during their conversations, even when he made the dreaded :| face. His usually blank expression made him appear calm… without that reassurance, Gerard could sense more of Mikey’s emotions.

And he felt guilty as fuck. Mikey was right. Every time, he ended up being Gerard’s emotional support whenever him and Frank fought or “broke up.” Since he was a good friend, he’d listen to Frank’s side of the story too. At this point in his life – almost 40 years old – Mikey had been dealing with their fuck ups for nearly half of his life. Even the most patient person would get fed up at some point.

“I know,” Gerard said. “And I’m sorry. This time is going to be different. I promise.”

“We’ll see.”

As if on cue, a reminder for the video chat with their parents began beeping on Gerard’s phone. “Would you like to join the video chat with Mom and Dad?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Gerard could tell Mikey was smiling. No visual aid needed.

***

Later that day, Frank tried to call through video chat.

 _Fuck no_. Gerard pressed the red Decline button, waited a minute or two, and then called Frank back through a normal phone call.

“Aww, no video chat today?” Frank said as he answered, sounding like a sad puppy who was denied a new chew toy.

“Not after that stunt you pulled last night. You’ve lost your video call privileges… at least for a while.” _God, I really am a “simp” or whatever Frank calls it._

“Aww, man. At least I can still heart your adorable voice.” He said this in such a singsong manner, Gerard could practically imagine heart eyes sprouting out of Frank’s eye sockets. “Was Mikey pissed or what?”

Gerard let out a nervous giggle. “Yes, but not too bad. Good thing I didn’t get shirtless… Mikey would have been much more suspicious.”

“Oh, so you _were_ thinking about getting shirtless!”

“N-no!” stammered Gerard. _How? I’ve known him for almost twenty years. How does he still have this effect on me, where I start acting like a nervous schoolgirl around him?_

“It’s actually good we’re not having a video chat.” Frank paused. “Because if you saw me right now, you’d probably freak.”

“Why, what happened?!” _What did he do now?_ In recent years, Frank had been relatively calmer, at least compared to when he was younger, so Gerard sometimes forgot that he wasn’t an ordinary human being. Frank was a God of Chaos trapped in earthly flesh.

“I… ugh… kind of got beat up. But-”

Gerard nearly dropped his phone. “Where are you?!”

Fuck Covid-19. He’d go find Frank and help him no matter where he was, whether it was a crowded, coronavirus-filled hospital or a germ-riddled back alley. He started looking for his green jacket and his face mask.

“I’m home. Gee, don’t worry. I’m fine. Really.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t a big deal. The person who beat me up was an old lady.”

Gerard felt the ball of anxiety that had been hardening in his chest loosen. “Oh.”

“…And a security guard. He kind of threw me out of the building, and I got a little scraped up on my face. That’s all.”

“What the fuck did you do to get kicked out of a fucking building?!” Gerard tried to make his voice sound stable. It wasn’t working.

“Don’t get mad, okay?” He sounded like a kid who broke a treasured family heirloom by doing something stupid – like riding a dirt bike inside – but was sincerely sorry for what they did.

“I’ll try,” Gerard managed to say calmly.

“So… the other night…” Frank explained, “you let your apartment number slip… but not your actual address. So, I thought-”

“You didn’t.”

“I did… I thought I knew where your apartment would be. Do you remember that one time we stayed together at a hotel in Brooklyn? It was just you and me, and we-” Frank coughed. “Anyway, there was an apartment building next door. I remember us walking by it, and you saying, ‘I’d love to live here.’ It was near a comic shop, and there’s this nice park nearby… I assumed it had to be where you were living. I guess I was wrong.”

Gerard was surprised Frank remembered the exact hotel and apartment building. It was so long ago; maybe 2006 or 2007? He actually looked for it when he was apartment-hunting in Brooklyn but never found it since he’d forgotten the name. _But_ _I’m too upset to tell that Frank at the moment._

When Gerard didn’t reply, Frank spoke again, trying to change the solemn mood. “Let me tell you the full story. It’s fucking hilarious.”

“It better be.”

“It is. So, I found the Not Your Apartment building and went to the room number you mentioned. 326. I was so sure it was your room, I started banging on the door and yelling stuff like ‘Open the door, you sexy beast!’”

“You _didn’t_!” Gerard felt such an intense wave of secondhand embarrassment, he thought he might die right then and there. Cause of death: his lover being a fucking dumb ass. “I feel sorry for her,” he said once images of his last will faded from his head. “The old lady must have been so scared.”

“Nah, man. She could handle herself. Picture this… it was like something out of a movie. She had curlers in her hair, and a cigarette in her mouth, and a pink slipper in her hand.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m dead serious. Dude, you should have seen it. And she must have had, like, a million cats. I didn’t see any, but the smell that wafted out of her apartment… it smelled like Lotion took a giant shit. And then took a thousand more giant shits.”

Gerard started giggling, despite himself. He looked around the apartment to see where Lotion and Mitch had gone – he’d taken them with him since he knew this was going to be a long trip. When he spotted Lotion, he whispered ‘I promise you don’t smell bad.’

Frank was still telling the story. “The lady started yelling at me and hitting me with her slipper! She didn’t let me explain. She just kept wailing on me.” Gerard stifled another laugh. “Then, a security guard showed up. He was huge! He must have been as big as the guy who plays Luther in _The Umbrella Academy._ And probably just as hairy too.” Gerard couldn’t stop the high-pitched laugh that escaped from his mouth. “The lady told the guard I was threatening her, which I really don’t blame her for. So, the guard picked me up like it was nothing. Like I was a hamster or something and threw me out the building! Well, maybe not ‘threw’ but… he kind of shoved me. I lost my footing, so I fell to the pavement and scraped up my face.”

Gerard’s giggle fit vanished. It was substituted with the overexaggerated concern of a worrisome wife. “You should report them for being too rough!”

“Nah, it’s okay. I was the one who caused the disturbance.” He said it so nonchalantly, it irked Gerard and made his angry wife vibes grow stronger.

“You should have called me.” Gerard was about to end that sentence with “so I could have picked you up,” but he bit his tongue just in time. _I can’t give in. Not yet._ Trying to sound casual, Gerard said, “If you had called me beforehand, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise. And if I _had been_ at the right place, you probably wouldn’t have opened the door. Or, you’d have sent me on a wild goose chase.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“So, you’re not pissed at me?” asked Frank, sounding hopeful.

“I am! You’re SO STUPID!” Gerard tried to remain calm, but the anger flooded out of him, like a stampede of kids running toward the barricade as soon as the concert staff opened the venue doors. “There is a fucking pandemic going on! You shouldn’t just wander into NYC; it’s always full of people, even during lockdown! What if the old lady was infected? Or worse, what if it wasn’t an old lady that opened the door?! What if it was a gang leader or something, and they hurt you?!”

“Gee-”

“You could have been exposed to the virus or even fucking killed! Jesus fucking Christ, Frank, you-”

“Gerard!” Frank raised his voice to same level as Gerard’s.

“What?!”

“Calm down. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”

“Calm down?! What were you _thinking_?”

“That I wanted to see you.”

Gerard’s anger quelled slightly. It wasn’t snuffed out completely; the flame was still present, but Frank’s comment made it flicker, like a birthday candle that had been blown on without enough force. “I can’t see you if you’re fucking dead,” he said after a moment.

“Gee, you are forgetting that I traveled all over the world for years and dealt with all kinds of sketchy people and places. And I got sick on tour all the time.”

“Yeah, but this virus is unpredictable and making people do crazy things. You need to understand that.”

Frank was silent for a long time, and he was never silent for long unless he was concentrating on something. He was either letting the words sink in or he was pretty upset. Gerard couldn’t stand awkward silence with Frank. It brought back too many bad memories. Memories of the familiar, deafening silence that occurred during hotel visits or in bedrooms where they’d given into their desires, guilt washing over them afterward, backs turned away from each other as they wordlessly lay in bed together.

The silence must have been getting to Frank too because he attempted to make a joke. “I was wearing a mask if that makes you feel any better.”

Gerard let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “It does. Sorry, Frank, I didn’t mean to yell. I just worry about you, and this whole virus thing is stressing me out. Really, really badly.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I didn’t think about the consequences.” He sounded relieved yet remorseful. Gerard imagined a young Frank sweeping broken pieces of a vase under a carpet and playing it off when he got caught.

“Do you ever?” Gerard knew the answer already.

Frank laughed. “No.”

 _Of course not. But that’s what makes you Frank._ “Let’s not fight anymore. I’m tired of fighting.”

“Whose fault is that?” Frank bit out.

“Excuse me?” Gerard honestly deserved that comment. He really did after everything he put Frank through over the years. It didn’t make the comment hurt any less, though.

“I’m kidding. You know I always need to get the last word in.” He sighed loudly into his phone’s receiver. “But I don’t want to fight anymore either. I just want to be with you. So badly it’s making me more stupid and reckless than usual.”

“I didn’t think you being _more_ recklessness was possible.” Gerard laughed, the ache in his chest slowly easing away. “I’m sorry we can’t be together right now, but you’ll see me in a couple days. Just wait a little longer.”

“Fine, okay,” Frank said. Gerard envisioned Frank rubbing his neck the way he always did when he was frustrated.

“Let’s go back to laughing and being dumb asses, okay?”

“That’s my specialty,” Frank announced. “Hey, do you remember the time I smashed Pansy through the sign at that MTV show and all that shit fell over?”

“How could I forget, man?” Gerard teased. “We’re lucky they didn’t sue us.”

“I’m too cute to be sued.”

“True. I thought the Pansy thing topped the list for Your Most Stupid Moment, but I think Getting Beaten Up by an Old Lady During a Pandemic may take the cake.”

“I’d like some of your cake right about now.”

“Oh my God.” It was just like Frank to go from vindictive bastard to flirty tease in a matter of minutes. However, Gerard was glad Frank was happy enough to make butt jokes. And, you know, not beaten up enough to be seriously hurt.

The two of them began ruminating about all of the dumb shit Frank did while in My Chem. They made a numbered list, ranking incidents from Dumbest Shit to Only Slightly Stupid Shit. Then, they started ranking the ridiculous things Gerard used to say or do on stage. He also had a _very_ long list. Humping monitors… sticking is hand down his pants… saying some of the most bizarre stuff.

Gerard laughed the whole time. Behind his laugh, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think _The most stupid thing I’ve ever done is break this man’s heart._

_Soon, Frank. We’ll be together soon._

**DAY 9 of THE TRIAL**

After their small fight, Gerard gave Frank back his video call pass. He wanted to see Frank’s face. Not only to assess the damage from the “ **ass** ailants” as Frank called them… but to also get a good look at the man he could have potentially lost yesterday. He knew the chances of Frank actually dying were very slim (like 0.00001219%) and that he was being paranoid and overdramatic, but he didn’t care. He wanted to see Frank. Gerard didn’t come this far to lose him to some cranky old lady, an overly aggressive security guard, or a microscopic murderer.

During the video call, Gerard sat on his bed, reading old DnD manuals, while Frank was sprawled out on his couch, drinking Ginger Spite and playing _Animal Crossing: New Horizons_. As much as he loved DnD, the manuals did get boring after a while; soon, Gerard was daydreaming again. He imagined Frank laying in bed next to him, his Nintendo Switch clasped in his hands. They’d curl up next to each other, one of them resting their head on the other’s shoulder as they enjoyed their different hobbies. Gerard would kiss the small, still-fresh scrapes on Frank’s forehead and chin. There would be no need to say anything. It would be _good_ silence, comfortable silence, the kind only longtime lovers can experience.

“What are you thinking about?” a voice called. It was Frank, the real one who was still separated from him. He had a talent for snapping Gerard back to reality. Evidently, Gerard had put down his manual and began staring at the ceiling without noticing.

“I miss…” began Gerard. “My Super Pickle.” It wasn’t a lie.

“The one your grandma gave you?” asked Frank.

“Yeah. It always calms me down. I would have brought it with me, but I was rushing.”

“Were you _that_ desperate to see me?” A rambunctious spark glimmered in Frank’s eye.

“I was desperate to make sure my dad was okay.”

“I know, I’m joking. But, ugh, don’t take this the wrong way, man, but… I’m really glad your dad choked on that pretzel.” Frank withdrew from his phone a little, averting his eyes, probably scared he had offended Gerard.

He hadn’t.

“Me too,” Gerard agreed. “Thank goodness he’s alright, though.”

“Yeah, of course.” The apprehension on Frank’s face faded to a soft smile. “If it wasn’t for Covid, we’d already be together…”

 _Tell me about it._ “Let’s change the subject.” Gerard bit his thumbnail nervously. If he continued to constantly pull his hair, he wouldn’t have any left to pull. “How is your island coming along in _Animal Crossing_?”

“I’m trying to collect tombstones to make a graveyard.”

 _That’s so him_ , thought Gerard. “Normally, I’m all about cemeteries, but that’s kind of depressing considering the current state of everything…” The chorus of Cemetery Drive drifted through his head.

“Sorry. But this will make you laugh.” Frank’s face lit up, clearly scheming something. “Guess the name of my island.”

“Umm, what?”

“Guess.”

“Ugh… f.t.willz?”

“No. Not funny, by the way. I get enough shit about that from the fans.”

Gerard chortled. “Umm…” There was no pencil nearby that he could grab, so he pressed his index finger to lip as he thought. “Pansy’s Paradise?”

“No, dude. That’s lame.”

“I give up.”

“Misty Anus.”

“I don’t have – wait, that’s the name of your island?” Gerard asked. _Why am I not surprised?_

“Yep.”

“Like I said, you shouldn’t be allowed to name things.”

“I’m proud of that name.” Frank teasingly puffed out his chest. “ _Came_ up with it myself. No pun intended.”

“That joke made no sense. You make no sense.”

“But you love it.”

“I do,” Gerard confessed, giggling. “Things are never boring when you’re around.”

Frank leaned in closer to his phone’s screen. “Especially when I’m there with you in per-”

“Drop it.”

“But Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” Frank began rolling back and forth on his couch, pressing his Switch to his chest, the perfect copy of a toddler who had been denied candy or something sugary.

“Just a few more days. Promise me you won’t knock on any more strangers’ doors in the meantime.” It came out like a joke, but Gerard was serious. He wasn’t sure if his heart could take another scare like that, as silly as the whole thing turned out.

“Trust me, after the other day, I will be avoiding people at all costs. But if I do run into any weirdos, I’ll yell ‘STRANGER DANGER!’” Frank threw up his arms, pretending to defend himself from an invisible stranger. He forgot he had the Switch in his hands and almost sent it flying across the room.

“I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you, which would be pretty far considering how tiny you are.” Gerard grinned to himself and rubbed his index finger against his lip, pleased he’d come up with such a good comeback.

“Wow, okay.”

They laughed for a couple minutes until settling back into comfy silence. It was nice. _It would be even nicer if Frank was actually here to cuddle me_. The daydream started up again, imaginary Frank tickling Gerard and doing other crap just to annoy the shit out of him. Even in his fantasies, Frank still drove him fucking insane.

“Hey,” Gerard said, emerging from his daydream. “If you were a character in _My Little Pony_ , you’d be Discord.”

** **Author’s Note:** In _My Little Pony_ , Discord is the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. He likes to mess with people and throw them off balance, just like a certain smol, chaotic man we all stan.

Frank snorted. “You’re right. Where’d that come from? You’re so random, dude.”

“Are you seriously accusing me of being random when you’re the most random person I know?”

“You’re random too. Don’t forget about some of the shit you’ve said on stage. I still have the list from yesterday.” He pointed his finger accusingly at Gerard through the phone. “Oh, that reminds me. I saw a Party Poison kinnie the other day at the supermarket.”

“A ‘kinnie?’”

“Yeah, someone who acts like or dresses like or tries to look like a person they admire. The kid had bright red hair and a My Chem shirt.”

Gerard pinched his nose between his fingers. “Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wish I never dyed it red… they’re still obsessed with that look ten years later.”

“You looked hot with red hair.”

“Thanks.” Gerard had a sudden desire to bleach the fuck out of his hair and dye it a crazy color. “Anyway, where did you learn that word? I’ve never heard it before.”

Frank looked to the side. “Online.”

“You aren’t that active online, at least not on your main account… sometimes I swear you have a secret MCR fan account or something where you learn weird slang.”

“Shit. Ugh, Lois is barking up a storm,” Frank said, even though Gerard couldn’t hear anything in the background. “I’ll be right back, man.”

Frank hung up. It was the first time he ended a conversation since Gerard had come to the NY/NJ Tri State area.

**DAY 10 of THE TRIAL (Yes, it’s still going on)**

They were video chatting again. At this point, their calls lasted for hours, neither of them wanting to hang up. Gerard skipped a video call from his parents so he could keep talking with Frank. _I’ll call them back later_ , he kept telling himself, although it had somehow become nighttime before Gerard knew it.

…And he was supposed to be working.

 _Shit, I forgot that I have to get that draft in tomorrow_. “Frank, I’m gonna do some sketches, okay?” Gerard said.

“Sure, man,” Frank replied, futzing around with his guitar.

 _I’m sure I can get some work done with Frank here. He’s not_ that _distracting._ [This is the part where you, the reader, roll your eyes and call bullshit on Gerard because we all know Frank is distracting as fuck and Gerard is just being a sucker.]

It was getting pretty late, so it wasn’t long before Gerard got distracted, his brain needing more coffee to properly concentrate. Coffee didn’t help. Soon he was browsing Instagram on his laptop instead of doing research for his character designs.

Frank watched him, thinking that Gerard’s sleepy expression was cuter than a baby hippopotamus. [They’re adorable, reader. You should look them up!] Gerard was scrolling aimlessly until he stopped on a certain picture and stared at it. And stared and stared and stared.

“Gee,” said Frank, “stop drooling over Grant Morrison.”

Gerard practically gave himself whiplash when he heard Frank’s comment, his hair frenetically billowing behind him as his neck snapped backwards. Then, he wiped his sleeve on his mouth, surprised that there wasn’t any residual saliva (and embarrassed at the fact he had actually checked). “I… I wasn’t drooling.”

“Uh-huh. How can you be so attracted to someone with no hair? There’s nothing to grab. Me on the other hand, I-”

“Shut up!” Gerard threw one of his drawing pencils at Frank, wood and lead clunking against his phone’s screen.

“Hey, did you ever watch my Medicine Square Garden video?”

“You know what? I haven’t, not in its entirety,” answered Gerard. “But I saw some clips of you getting killed by Gwar. I still can’t believe that happened.”

“Me neither.” Frank twitched. “You should watch it now. It’s not like you’re getting any work done anyway.” Gerard swore Frank’s eyes got darker for a second, but perhaps it was just a shadow passing over his face from the partially opened blinds in his room.

“Sure, why not?” Gerard saw the dark-eyed look again. _What is he up to?_ Ignoring the ominous feeling in his gut that said DON’T FALL FOR HIS SHIT, Gerard opened up YouTube on his computer and slowly punched in the video’s name. He was just as slow at typing on a computer as he was on a phone, if not slower; you’d think he was born in 1937, not 1977.

He gingerly moved his mouse and clicked on the video’s thumbnail, feeling Frank’s anticipatory eyes boring into him. As the video started, he readjusted his laptop and sitting position so Frank couldn’t see his face. However, Frank still noticed how Gerard instantly stiffened the moment the camera zoomed in on a sunglasses-adorning, lipstick-wearing, black-nailed version of Frank.

Gerard didn’t say anything throughout the course of the video. When the final notes of the song played and the in-video television screen went static, he very slowly – very deliberately – turned back to his phone. “Frankie…” His voice was uneven. No, it was rasping, practically panting.

At the sound of Gerard’s sensual voice, Frank almost fell over backwards with his guitar still in his lap.

“That was… amazing,” continued Gerard. “Not just Gwar killing you or the creative direction, but you… y-you’re so…”

“I’m so what?” Frank asked languidly. He was over his initial shock and now trying to take advantage of the situation in front of him: a visibly and audibly horny Gerard.

“Evil! You’re fucking evil!”

Frank blinked, dumbfounded. “I thought you were gonna say I’m so ‘hot’ or ‘sexy.’”

“You are! That’s why you’re evil. It’s obvious what – or who – what song is about… The lyrics are very sexual, and you’re dancing around like… like…”

“Hey, man, that whole video is a thirst trap, and you fell right into it. This is payback for that one interview where you talked about wearing lipstick for the first time.” He flashed a triumphant wink at Gerard that read, ‘I won this round, Gee.’

“I hate you.” Gerard panicked and quickly corrected himself. “N-not really! But I’m annoyed because you knew it would get me all hot and bothered.”

“Did it work?”

“Fuck you!”

“By all means, Gee… you can fuck me all you want. Just tell me when and where.”

Gerard blushed so deeply, his cheeks were past Party Poison levels of red, if that is even physically possible. He hid his crimson complexion with both hands and stayed like that, unmoving. It reminded Frank of that one photoshoot where they dipped their hands in fake blood and covered their faces.

Finally, Gerard spoke. “I need a cold shower. Now.” He walked off without even hanging up, leaving his phone propped up on his desk.

Frank watched Gerard’s hunched back disappear into the distance. “Take me with yoooooooooooouuuuuuuuu,” Franked called after him.

No reply. Frank heard a door close and water running somewhere off screen. Gerard’s laptop went dark after a few minutes, no longer recommending Frank’s other music videos. Bored and disappointed, Frank went back to playing his guitar while he waited.

“So, where were we?” Franked looked up from his guitar; Gerard was back with a head of wet hair and considerably less red expression. The frazzled look, masked by his damp skin, was still there if you looked close enough.

“I was hoping we’d finally have phone sex, but I guess not,” Frank answered.

“Your plan didn’t work. I’m not giving in. Nice try, though.”

“Foiled again,” Frank chuckled.

Gerard would never admit it, but that was indeed the closest they ever came to having phone/video chat sex.

**_~ Three days down, four more to go! They survived this long… will they survive until Day 14? Find out in the next chapter <3 ~_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this. I'd appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism you have <3 
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter @collisionalkiss


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